Thank you.
I'd like to shift to the issue of strategic and regional impact assessments. As you're aware, the expert panel indicated the importance of these. It specifically said, “Regional [impact assessment] is too important to long-term federal interests to be triggered on an ad hoc basis...”.
Previous federal environmental assessment rules have provided for this kind of regional, and also strategic, impact assessment, but they've rarely been conducted. My own view is that, as we talk about environment and the economy going hand in hand, both of these regional and strategic impact assessment aspects are crucial to ensure that the economic aspect doesn't get the upper hand, if you will.
I wonder why the proposed legislation leaves strategic impact assessment and regional impact assessment entirely to discretion, and I wonder if there's not a way to put a better frame around it and to more firmly ensure that such assessments will occur. The suggestion has been made that there be an independent body created to carry these out.
I just wonder if you could speak to that theme, please.